Who Knew
by SonadowStories
Summary: SHADOW MPREG! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! so don't come to me complaining about something you know beforehand. During his last battle with Eggman, Sonic has gotten gravely injured and doesn't survive the fight. Just a few days later, Sally asks Shadow to partake in an experiment that might bring their hero back to the land of the living. Old story and therefore short chapters until CH44.
1. Chapter 1

**Who knew: chapter 1**

 **Sonic's POV**

I felt the heat of the fire nearly burn my back as another missile exploded not to far behind me. I cringed as i felt some of the hairs of my fur burn away and i quickly moved into a safer distance, but i soon discovered that it was a bad decision as another missile exploded right in front of my face. I flew back into a metal wall and slided to the floor. I had hit my head hard against that wall and had to blink quite a few times before i could see properly again and before i could orientate properly again. But as soon as that happened a robotic arm came rushing at me.

My eyes widened in shock and fear. I jumped to my feet and felt the metal from the arm collide with my body and i was thrown to the other side of the huge hangar. The distance that Eggman had put between us gave me time to get to my feet and avoid the fast approaching missiles.

I ran behind the robot and made a U-turn so i faced the back of the robot. Eggman noticed where i had gone to and turned the robot. He was unable to react in time as i curled myself up and spindashed through the glass window of the robot's cockpit. I felt the glass cut my skin and skidded to a halt behind Eggmans chair. He had covered his face with his arms to prevent any sharp shards hurt him in his face. He looked over his shoulder at me before fully turning and facing me.

"Sonic! how dare you infiltrate my robot's cockpit like this! don't you have any manners?" Eggman said with a snarl as he stood up from his seat. "it's over eggman!" I yelled and panted from the effort i needed to give to fight this robot. I can't remember when i wasn't having a hard time with Eggman's robots. They became harder and harder with every new attempt of world domination. These last months i needed to give it all i got in order to defeat just one robot.

Eggman smirked as he noticed my exhaustion. "getting tired are we?" He asked with a taunting tone. "no way! i'm not even close to the end of my strenght!" I said with a grin and tried to stand up straight, but i was so exhausted that i had a hard time doing so. It didn't take a while before i was hunched over and trying to regain some energy again. "you foolish hedgehog! you can barely stand up right!" Eggman said. "you're at the end of your rope." He said and with a malicious smirk pushed a button behind his back without me noticing.

Out of nowhere a robotic arm came crashing through the side of the cockpit and nearly avoided Eggman as it headed for me. I felt it's metallic vice like grip as his claw like appendages wrapped around my drained body. The robot pulled back out of the cockpit and threw me against the cold metal wall at speed that only i could reach without problem. I felt something crack in my body. I didn't know if it was my arm or leg. Or if it was my neck or skull that i felt give in. All i know is that i felt a blaring pain rush through my nerves.

I fell the ground and couldn't move. My teeth gritted from the pain. I tried to stand up as i heard the heavy footsteps from the robot, but i couldn't. Instead i fell back down flat on the floor. I grunted in pain. I looked down at my legs and instantly knew what the problem was. My right leg was broken. This wasn't good. I was having a hard time as it is, with my leg the way it was now i would be having an even harder time defeating this thing.

The robot was close again. I groaned as i pushed myself up again. I wanted to get away before the robot could hurt me, but i was to slow. I never thought that i would admit it, but i couldn't deny it now. I wasn't even sure if i would be able to fight my way out of this predicament.


	2. Chapter 2

**Who knew: chapter 2**

 **Sonic's POV**

The shadow of the robot loomed over me. It was waiting for me to get up. So we could have another fight that would take for quite a while. Because Eggman wanted another challenge for his robot. But i couldn't. I was out of stamina. Out of breath. And my leg was broken. I placed my hands beneath my body and pushed myself up. My arms were shaking because of the effort. It didn't take long before i was flat on the concreet floor again. A chuckle was heard through the speaker of the robot. It sounded amusing as Eggman was, without a doubt, enjoying the view of me being down for once. I sighed and didn't attempt getting up anymore. I thought that Eggman would wait for another challenge. That could give me a moment to regain some of the energy that i had used. "what's this, Sonic? are you finally giving up? are you finally realising that it's useless to stop me?!" Eggman yelled. His tone laced with venom and satisfaction of seeing me in pain.

"b...bastard." I said as i tried to get up again. "there's no way... that i will... ever give up." I groaned and finally got myself to stand up. Eggman looked surprise. After all these years he still doesn't know that he won't get rid of me this easily. "you stubborn rodeny." Eggman muttered underneath his breath and pressed some buttons. The robot's arm came at me with significant speed that only i would be able to see. Unfortunatly, it wasn't so easy avoiding that arm if one of my legs was unusable. I tried to atleast jump out of the way, but i wasn't quick enough. A fist crashed against my chest and torso and i was flung backwards into the wall that i had previously crashed in.

I tried getting back up, but i didn't have the time to. An iron hand wrapped around my body. The ground dissapeared beneath me as i was lifted off of the ground. I tried to struggle my way out of the vice grip. It was to difficult. I was tired, i could hardly move my legs and even if i could, i could not form a spindash without ground to start on. I groaned as i kept on struggling, but it was useless. I couldn't get out of it. My eyes widened as i felt the grip around my body tighten. My lungs were starting to have trouble providing oxygen for my body as my ability to breath was being prevented by the tight grip.

The pressure was building up and my body started to hurt because of it. I groaned and grunted as i tried to struggle out of the robot's grip. "let...g o." I grunted and tried to get out. The robot's hand wrapped tighter around my body. My broken leg was killing me and i could almost feel my still healthy bones bend beneath the weight.

"stop!" I yelled on the top of my lungs as the pressure in my whole body turned into agonizing pain. Eggman had been chuckling in amusement this whole time. By now these chuckles had turned into maniacle laughters. The vice grip was to much for my body to bear. Suddenly a disturbing sound was heard. I screamed on the top of my lungs as i felt my rib cage gave in beneath the weight. Eggman's laughter didn't stop. Neither did my screaming.

A diffirent sound had joined the laughter and screaming. It was the sound of explosion. Suddenly i felt the iron hand lose it's grip around me and i fell to the ground. I didn't feel the impact with the ground. I didn't know why. It confused me and scared me. What if i had become permanently paralised? I was starting to panic. My broken ribs were preventing me to breath. I couldn't run away from here because of my broken leg. I was laying on my back while facing the ceilling. My head turned slightly to the right. I could see Knuckles trying to destroy the gaint robot. Tails was running over to me aswell. They were suppsoed to be at the control room, trying to disable eggman's latest scheme. He had fear written all over his face. There were small fresh tear streaks on his cheeks. He must've heard my scream from the other end of the hangar and the hallway attached to it.

"Tails." I said to adress the child that came to my aid. I didn't notice it, but i my voice was almost unexcistent. It was so inaudible and silent. Tails sat on his knees next to me. He was saying something to me. But i didn't understand him. The words he said seemed to difficult for my mind to comprehend. what was going on? I felt myself becoming cold. Was i? No, it couldn't be. I had survived broken bones, bullets, etc. I had cheated death a countless of times and saved millions of lives before. Was i really dying now? I couldn't believe it.

"Tails." I said, but i don't think that Tails was able to understand me. He was asking me something. Probably asking after what i had said or why i had called him. I tried to move, but i couldn't anymore. I was starting to lose all feeling in my body. I felt sad that my time had already come, but i was glad that i could accomplish so many things in my life. My vision was starting to blur. I could barely hear something. Knuckles had managed to ruin the robot that made me in this critic condition. Eggman couldn't stop his hysterical laughter. So he didn't pay anymore attention to the robot he controlled. Knuckles and Tails were yelling something at me, but i couldn't hear it anymore. I was even a hard time seeing them move. My vision had gone from blurry to dark. My body became cold. Before i knew it i couldn't feel anything anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**Who knew: chapter 3**

 **Shadow's POV**

The news about Sonic's death was known all over Mobius in just a day or two. It seemed like everybody was grieving for him. Especially his friends. I guess that i was a bit upset about his death, but i can't really say that i was grieving. Me and Sonic weren't exactly friends, after all.

I was working at the g.u.n headquarters along with Rouge and Omega. I was trying my best to ignore the constant talking and whispering of the other g.u.n agents as i made a report about my latest mission. Just like the mobians, all they could talk about was Sonic's recent passing. Bits and pieces of the conversation behind me were picked up by my sensitive ears. Not that i could hear as much as Rouge could. My ears weren't nearly as sensitive as hers. My ears twitched as i heard something interesting from the conversation reach them. My ears moved to the direction of the three agents that stood there. I had picked up on an interesting subject. They were talking about an experiment.

"experiment?" I said and turned to the three humans behind me. They turned to me aswell. "yeah, the Acorn family has this crazy plan on trying to bring Sonic back." The redhead said. "trying to bring him back?" I said and concentrated myself on the document in front of me. "yeah." A brown haired agent said. "i would look out if i were you." The brown haired human said again. I slightly turned to him to face him. "why?" I asked him with a clear confused tone in my voice. "because i have also heard them talk about involving you into that experiment, chief." He said.

I turned back towards my documents. I was a bit shocked. If what they told me was true, then what were they planning on doing to me? If they wanted to bring someone back from the dead. Then there was no way that they had anything good in mind for me. My elbows leant on the desk i was working on. I had lost interest in the mission report. I was to worried to concentrate on them. I looked over my shoulder at the trio that was talking there. One of them was enjoying a coffee as they communicated with eachother.

I sighed and looked back at the papers. I had a bad feeling about this. I just hoped that he had heard it wrong. I couldn't imagine what they would do to me. I had been experimentated on when i was a child untill in my late teenage years right before i had been put away to rot in that capsule in the lowest floor of a g.u.n base. The word 'experiment' was enough to send cold chills down my spine as countless of unpleasant memories would fill my head.

I thought for a while and soon came to a decision. I finished the report and stood up. I delivered it to the comander and made my way out of the g.u.n headquarters. I knew that i didn't have the right to leave since my shift wasn't over yet, but i had to go and pay a visit to new mobotropolis. I had to talk to someone of the royal family. I wanted to atelast get in contact with King Elias or Sally. They could shed some light on this situation. I don't know if i could really get in contact with them, but i had to try. If they really had planend to sue me for these experiments, then i could prevent it, right? I had rights just like everyone else. They couldn't possibly force me to comply to it. Or so i thought. And hoped.

I stepped outside of the headquarters and took a deep breath before uttering the words 'chaos controll'. Instantly a warm energetic feeling surrounded me and i appeared in a diffirent location. I looked around to see if i had teleported to the right place. I recognised my surroundings as new mobotropolis. I walked on towards the castle that i could already see up ahead. I was a bit nervous. Not that i showed. I hardly showed any emotions. Nobody knew the reason why, but that was mainly because i didn't tell anyone. I stood in front of the gates that lead to the castle. I was almost a big to scared to enter. I was frightened that all my controll over my own life and my own body were being taken from me again. I had felt like that before and i didn't want to feel like that again. But if the royals were going to demand it. Then i didn't really have a way out, did it?


	4. Chapter 4

**Who knew: chapter 4**

 **Shadow's POV**

I walked inside. I had told the guards that i needed to talk to the royals for something urgent. Normally they wouldn't let anyone pass this easily, but my status as g.u.n agent had made it possible for me to enter. I didn't really like my job, but i guessed that it could have it's benefits at times. I looked around the big hallways as i tried to find princess Sally.

I had never been hear before. Not even when new mobotropolis was attacked by Eggman. I had never even gotten close to this place. The guards were watching me suspiciously. They watched my every move as i passed them by. As if i could attack them for no reason. I wanted to ask them where Sally could possibly be, but they don't seem up for a friendly talk with an outsider and a possible threat to the royal family.

This place was so big. It would probably take me forever to find princess Sally. I could go to find Elias and ask him where his sister was, but i had no idea where he was either. Maybe he was in the throne room? I don't think that he was the type of person to sit still for to long, though. I sighed. It was better if i left. If i stayed for to long here, then the commander would surely notice that i had been gone while i was supposed to wait for my next mission. I turned back around and decided to go back and try in the weekend. My shifts ended earlier during those two days.

"Shadow? this is surprising, i never thought that i would find you here." A feminine voice said and i turned to see Sally walking towards me. "Sally." I muttered and turned to her. "i apologize for barging in your home like this, but i need to-" "talk to me about the rumors right?" Sally said as she cut me before i had even finished my sentence. "yes." I just replied and ignored tha ti wouldn't have thought a princess to be so rude. "i knew that it wouldn't take long for you to come for those rumors." Sally said and gestured for me to followed her. Which i hesitantly did.

We walked through the hallways. Where we were going, i had no idea. She didn't tell me where we were headed. I guess i had to find out when we arrived there. I stayed silent as i followed princess acorn. I only answered some questions she was asking me. The usuall that poeple would ask someone. How they were doing and if there was anything new going on in their life. But Sally started asking strange questions. She asked questions about my life style. I answered them since i didn't see any harm in doing so. But it was still a bit strange. Why would she want to know my way of living my life. She seemed to want to know it badly.

Sally opened a door in front of us. It lead us to a bedroom. I could only guess that this was her own bedroom. Why would she bring me here? To talk? This was an odd place a princess would bring me to just to talk. I looked at her in confusion, but she didn't seem to notice. Sally walked to the middle of her bedroom and looked at me as if to ask if i was following her. I stepped inside and waited for the princess to do something.

Sally went over to her book shelve and reached for a book. She pulled it out of the shelve and just dropped it to the ground. I raised an eyebrow at her behaviour. WHy would she take a book and then throw it onto the ground. Sally stuck out her hand and went between the two books and into the open space that the previous book had been standing. She reached for something behind them. She pulled on something and a click was heard. Along with the sound of machines rattling and turning. The sounds seem to echo everywhere inside the room. The sound of something heavy moving was heard.

Sally looked back into the direction we came from. I looked in the same direction and saw what she was looking at. In front of the foot end of her bed the rug had fell down as the platform beneath it had moved to reveal a stairs going down. "follow me." Sally said with a smile and ignored my confused glare again. She walked down the stairs and i quietly followed. Not knowing what would await me there. Without knowing what fate had in store for me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Who knew: chapter 5**

 **Shadow's POV**

I followed princess Sally down the stairs in silence. I still didn't know where we were going. But something told me that i would find out soon enough. The stairs seemed to be going down endlessly. What seemed like forever we finally reached the bottom of the stairs. The floor we walked on was now made out of metal. Where were we going?

"i can imagine that you have alot of questions concerning those rumors about this experiment." Sally said. I didn't answer. I wasn't exactly the type of person to socialize with others. I was walking next to her. I watched her. She was obviously waiting for me to say something to her. "yes." I said. "i did not have any interest in it untill i heard my name being mentioned." I said. She smiled at me. "we had hoped that you would come on your own." She said and opened a metallic door that stood in our way.

It was dark in front of us. But i had gotten used to it a little. The hallway we had left behind us wasn't exactly bright as day either. We walked inside and i looked around. My eyes tried to get used to an even darker envirement as sally tried to search for something on the wall. Probably a light switch. Her hand touched something and she flipped it. The light turned on. My eyes squeezed shut as the sudden invading light was a bit to much for them to take when they had just gotten used to the darkness.

I winced as a burning feeling was taunting my eyes. It was the kind of feeling when you would stare a tv screen or computer screen for to long. I placed the palms of my hands on my eyes and rubbed them to get rid of the feeling. Once it was gone i opened them again and took a look around. This looked like a laboratory. What was this doing underneath the royal palace?

"quite surprised, i see?" Sally said as she helped her eyes recover from the sudden change from dark to light. "this experiment does involve me doesn't it?" I asked and sighed when she nodded. "i know that you don't like being experimentated on, but believe me when i say that this one is diffirent." Sally said. I looked at her with suspision. Experiments always hurt. There were no experiments that didn't.

"let me explain." Sally said and offered me a seat at a table that stood close to a desk with a computer on top of it. I sat down on it and she sat down on the opposite side of me. She placed a folder in front of me. I opened it and read it. My blank expression turned into a slight grimace as i realized that these papers were about Sonic's death. Or his body's autopsy that is. "it isn't a nice sight to look at, isn't it?" The princess said as she was looked at me inside of the pictures that were in this folder aswell. I tried not to look at the photo's that showed the images of the hero's body during the autopsy, but they were hard to avoid.

A broken leg, a shatter ribcage, punctured lung because of the shatter ribcage and bunch of other injuries. Sonic had suffered so much during his last battle. He even had a broken spine. A broken spine mostly means an instant death, though. Maybe he had already passed before feeling the pain. Yes, he had to be. That made me feel a bit better about reading this.

"as you probably know by now, Sonic didn't die peacefully and happy in his sleep from old age." Sally said. I closed the folder and looked at her. "Eggman's robots are getting stronger and stronger. without Sonic, the extinction of us mobians is pretty much guaranteed." She said. I guess she was right about that. "i can get why you want to have him back, but what is my part in this?" I asked. I was still clueless as i was before arriving here. No one was giving me the information i needed. The only one who could was staying silent. I didn't know why, but she seemed a bit nervous and reluctant to tell me.

I waited. Sally wasn't saying a word. She had opened her mouth several times, but no sound left her throat. I waited patiently and gave her the time she needed. If this was such a big news then she would need her time to tell me carefully and without having any missunderstandings.

"what is the experiment about?" I asked softly with a more tone that i hoped would assure her to tell me. Whatever it was, i don't think that i could deny it anyway. So all that could make it better for me was to know what was coming. Sally sighed. "we know that you're a herm and we want to exploit that fact." She said. She was getting to the point of this conversation now. "we want plant Sonic's DNA in your womb in hopes of creating a clone or atleast his offspring." She said. I was shocked. I knew that this experiment would be an ordeal, but i certainly didn't have this in mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Who knew: chapter 6**

 **Shadow's POV**

"w...what?!" I yelled and stood up from the chair. "you can't do this to me! me and Sonic were rival's for god's sake!" I yelled. Sally didn't seem at all surprised by my outburst because she had seen it coming. She didn't answer. She just kept silent and allowed the news to sink in. "this is madness! i'm not taking part in this!" I said and walked back into the hallway and get out of the place. i had no need to be here anymore.

"wait!" Sally said and reached out for me. I didn't know why, but i stopped to listen to what she had to say. "Shadow, think about all those poeple out there. they need a hero to protect them from Eggman. Nicole's shield won't be able to protect us from him for long." She said. She was right. These mobians and freedom fighters needed a hero, but their's had passed away sometime ago. "please, Shadow. this is the only hope and chance for us mobians to keep what we had retained back from Eggman. if there is no one to protect us, then Eggman will destroy everything again." She said.

I sighed. I hated it when i was wrong and someone else right. Especially in this case. "then what do you want me to do than?" I asked and turned to her. "for now? pack your bags." She said. My ears lowered and i sighed. "i don't want to stay here in the dark!" I yelled. "you won't." Sally said. "since you seem to agree to this i want you to move here. I wanted to keep a close eye on you, meaning that you will have a guestroom here and will be treated as a royal like i will command poeple here to do. we may have our diffirences in the past but i still want you to be comfortable. If you're comfortable then so will he." Sally said and stood up. I looked down as she walked past me. She was satisfied that i had 'agreed' to this. "what if it's a girl?" I asked. Sally stopped for a moment. "she'll do." She said and continued walking. I heard her footsteps reach the stairs and go up the stairs. I waited till the footsteps had gone silent.

"damnit!" I yelled on the top of my lungs and kicked the table in rage. "why does it always have to be me?!" I yelled and threw a chair to a nearby wall. My fists clenched, but soon relaxed. It was no use to get angry over this. I had already agreed to this. There was no turning back anymore. I had to go through with it now, weither i liked it or not. It was not my choice anymore. I turned to the hallway and left to go home and pack my bags. Once they were packed i could try and forget this predicament for a while. Atleast untill i had to move out of the comfort of my own home to come and live here in the palace.

"did she even give you time to think?" Rouge asked as we were seated on a couch that was seated in a relaxation area in the g.u.n base. I shook my head. "that's cruel." a young girl said. Her name was hope Kintobor. Her family was related to mine, the Robotnik family. Untill they had decided to change their name to the reverse of Robotnik. I guess that, ever since Maria's parents had adopted me, that we were related in a way.

"what can i do about it? Those poeple need someone to protect them. and it's not like i'm able to decline a princess' offer." I said and leant back on the couch. "i know, but still..." Hope said. "so what now?" Rouge asked. "now i need to move out and move into the palace on Sally's orders." I said with a sigh. "she's not even allowing you stay at your own home!" Rouge yelled but i told her to keep talking softly. I did not want anyone else to know, but they probably already did. You would be surprised how fast news can travel. Especially if you were openly conversing about it.

"so what? it's only for nine months." I shrugged and acted as if i didn't care. Sonic had been my rival. Nothing more and nothing less. But i was concerned. I was to carry him to full term. I was to help him into this world. After going through all of that. I doubted that my feelings for him would still be the same after all of this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Who knew: chapter 7**

 **Shadow's POV**

I sighed as i stood in front of the gates of the palace once again. A shoulder bag hung on my left shoulder. I didn't really have alot of stuff that i owned, so the bag wasn't so heavily filled and overflowing with clothes and other things. I took a deep breath as i was a bit nervous, the reason for me feeling that way was unclear to me. Maybe it was because i knew that moving in here meant getting pregnant of someone who was dead, i do not know.

I walked up to the gate. The guards opened the gate when they saw me coming because their princess had been expecting me. My ears lowered as they stared at me when i passed through the gate. Their gaze made me feel uncomfortable. It made me feel mocked and vulnerable. I hated feeling vulnerable. Especially right before i would be going through a tough situation. Not to mention that this tough situation was actually me being forced to carry the mobians' their next hero because they couldn't save their own behind.

I walked inside the palace and was immediatly greeted by Sally. "ah Shadow! you came after all!" Sally said and seemed happy that someone she couldn't stand in the past was going to live with her. 'it's not like i was given any choice.' I thought and followed her as she gestured me to do so. Probably to show me my room. We walked through the castle's hallways to the wing that contained the bedrooms. Sally stopped in front of a door and opened it. "here's your room." She said with a smile and allowed me to enter. "i hope you'll like you're stay and dinner is ussually around 6 or 7 pm." She said and closed the door behind her as she left.

I sat down on the bed and looked around the room. The room was pretty fancy. The bed was big and comfortable. There was a dresser, a nightstand besides the bed, a closet. The dresser even had a big mirror. Anyone would've loved this room, but i didn't. I knew why i was here and that thought didn't make me feel good about this place. I missed my home already. I was gratefull that i could go home after nine months. Or so i thought, anyway. I don't know Sally that well and for all i know she could be planning on keeping me here even longer so i could feed our future hero. One thing i was certain of in this situation was that i wouldn't like this.

A few hours passed by. I did not feel like unpacking my stuff and just left everything in the shoulder bag that was now standing near the closet. I was laying on top of the bed and tried to adjust to this new room of mine. It wasn't an easy task. I wanted to go back to my own home instead of staying here, but i guess that i had no other choice.

"damn you, Sonic. you better appreciat what i'm doing for you." I growled in anger and crossed my arms in front of my chest and curled up the best i could. I didn't want to part take in this, but the choice wasn't mine to make. It had already been decided for me. This experiment could only work with me. If i didn't participate in this then my life would've been made even more miserable then it already was. That was something i wanted to prevent from happening.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door. "come in." I said and sat up on the bed. The door opened to reveal King Elias himself. "King Elias?" I said in surprise. I didn't think to expect him to come and visit me. "hello, Shadow. just came to see how you were doing. my sister had briefly told me about you arriving here before going to freedom HQ." Elias said and closed the door behind him. "how are you feeling?" He asked. "i'm trapped, i'm a few days away from being impregnated against my will and you ask me how i'm doing?" I said with an unimpressed expression on my muzzle. "right. sorry." He apologized and rubbed his neck. "anyway, i came to tell you that dinner is ready." Elias said.

I sighed. I didn't want to eat dinner. I wasn't hungry and i didn't want to meet the former queen and king from this castle. And Sally was the last person i wanted to see right now. I turned away from King Elias and laid down again. I curled up as much as i could and heard the bedroom door open and close once more as Elias left me alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Who knew: chapter 8**

 **Shadow's POV**

Almost a full month passed by before i was lead down that metal hallway again by Sally. Today was diffirent thought. Today we weren't only accompanied by two large guards who would guard the entrance, but today i was also in the time of the month that even male hermaphrodites such as myself would regret. I was in heat. Sally had patiently waited for that time to come to begin the experiment. She wanted this experiment to work from the first attempt. So she choose my most fertile period to do so.

We arrived in the underground laboratorium. The guards stayed out of the room. Sally locked the door and turned to me. I noticed that someone else besides me and Sally was here. He looked like a doctor. But not a normal doctor. My heart skipped a beat as i realized what he was. This wasn't a scientist either. I felt my blood boil as i became angry. This doctor was specialized in animals. This guy with us here to perform the experiment was a damn vet.

I glared at Sally. How dare she do this to me! Taking me away from the safety of my home, forcing me to comply to an experiment that would result in me carrying a child and to top it all off she wanted to make this humiliating experiment even more humiliating by involving a damn vet! I growled at her, but she didn't seem fazed by my behaviour. She even expected it. As if she had done this on purpose.

"bitch." I growled and felt my blood boil. She tried not to show it to the doctor, but she smirked when he got everything ready. That's when i knew it for sure. She was doing this on purpose! She wanted to make me hate this! She wanted me to hate carrying this new Sonic!

"i'm sorry to ask this of you." The human vet said with clear shame written all over his face. He didn't want to do this either, but he couldn't decline an order from the royal family either. "please lay down on the metal table." The vet said and i did what i was told. I followed his instructions and suffered through the procedure with determination. This was humiliating as hell, but i wasn't to give Sally the pleasure of me having me break and hate Sonic before he was even born.

Poeple have always told me that i was to stubborn for me own good. My will was known to be made of iron. I was going to exploit those two facts the best i could. I was not going to succumb to this little spoiled princess. I was not going to hate Sonic. He had done nothing wrong to me. Not even before he passed away. He had tried to make my life bearable even though we did nothing but fight and argue. This was the perfect time to repay my debt to him.

The procedure had ended. I was filled with pride because i had been able to go through it. With my head held up high i walked out of this room as proud as one could be. Even if this hour had been painfully slow and humiliating, i wasn't going to start this new chapter of my life with spite against the unborn that would now grow within me. It wasn't fair. And i wasn't going to succumb to Sally's wish. I left this wicked hallway and returned to my room.

"can't believe she did that!" Rouge yelled in fury and slammed her fists on the table that we were seated at. I took hold of my glass of water as it threatened to fall. "and you're just putting up with that kind of behaviour?!" She yelled the question loudly as i sipped from the glass. "of course not, but i didn't really have a choice now did i?" I asked and placed the glass back down on the table. Rouge sighed. "i can't believe it. you're pregnant now and the least she could do is give you some respect." She said and took a sip from her own glass. "you know, if she's going to treat you like this it's that you come and live here with me." She said, but i shook my head.

"you're unbelievable." She said and i chuckled. "am i still so surprising after these years that we've known eachother?" I asked with an amused expression and she nodded. "you keep surpising me." She said with a small laugh. I smiled and finished my glass of water.


	9. Chapter 9

**Who knew: chapter 9**

 **Shadow's POV**

I woke up in the morning when the sunlight hit my eyes. I yawned and stretched myself as i sat up in my bed. I looked at the nightstand that stood at my left and saw a platter with food that had been placed on top of it. I smiled and took the breakfast onto my lap. The maids always came early with breakfast. Everytime they would come to my room i would still be in a deep sleep. So they placed my breakfast next to me on my nightstand. The breakfast was what you would've expected in a royal palace. Large and delicious. I had downed it all in just a matter of minutes.

I placed the plate back on my nightstand and left it there because the maid would come back for it like she would everyday. I stretched again and laid back down for a few moments. I thought for a moment. It had been about eight or nine weeks since the procedure. I didn't know for sure if it had succeeded. Sure, my heat had stopped almost immediatly after, but i hadn't really noticed any changes in my body yet. So i didn't really know if this experiment had really worked or not. But i was going to find out today. When one was pregnant, she, or in my case he, would need to have her first doctor's appointment around eight or nine weeks. And my first appointment was today.

I think that about another half an hour had passed before i had decided to get up from the bed. With some fresh clothes in my arms i walked into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom and locked the door behind me. I left the bathroom not to shortly after when i had gotten myself ready for a new day.

I left my bedroom and walked down the hallway as i had planned on visiting Rouge today. I seemed to be doing this everyday ever since i came to live here. I didn't have anyone to talk to here and even someone as me needed a friend to talk to once in a while. So with my trenchcoat in hand, i walked to the exit of the palace and left.

It had been almost two hours since i left from the palace to visit my friend Rouge. I had told her that my first appointment was today and that i would find out if i really was pregnant or not. She was a bit excited for this event and had asked me to bring her an update by the end of the day. I promised her that i would talk to her as soon as the appointment had ended. I walked in the castle through the gates and had planned on going to my room and relax myself, but little did i know that my plans would be canceled as soon as i made my way inside.

"Shadow the hedgehog!" I heard someone yell in rage as i was walking into the direction of my room. I jumped upon hearing the voice and turned around to face one angry female squirrel. "where in the hell were you?!" Sally yelled in rage and stomped over to me. "i was with Rouge, why?" I asked in confusion as i did not understand what the fuss was all about. "it doesn't matter! you're already an hour late for you appointment with the doctor!" She yelled and grabbed the collar of my trenchcoat as she practically dragged me down the hallway. The guards did nothing. They just stood there and let Sally do what she pleased. She was a royal, so they didn't dare to interfere with our bussiness.

"Sally, let go of me!" I yelled and managed to get her grip off of my trenchcoat as we walked. Since she couldn't dragg me along with my trenchcoat anymore, she instead took hold of my arm with a vice like grip and continued to drag him along the way. I sighed in annoyence and allowed her to do so as i didn't want to hurt the baby that i might be possibly pregnant.

Much to my relief we quickly arrived into the laboratory and Sally finally let go of me. I walked inside the room with a hand rubbing on my hand as i was certain that the harsh grip would leave quite some bruises on that spot. I looked at the female doctor that was waiting impatiently at the desk. She turned away from the papers on the desk and smiled when she saw that i had arrived.

"ah Shadow the hedgehog. it's so ncie to finally meet you." The feminine doctor said and shook my hand as i returned the greeting. "now, you just get comfortable on the examination bed while i get everything ready." The doctor said with a smile as she went into the next room to get some equipment installed that had arrived just a few days earlier. Sally didn't trust the fact that i needed to search help from a hospital to bring a possibly healthy baby into this world. So Elias had made sure to have the equipment needed in here in the castle. I didn't like it. I wanted to have help from a place in which i knew i there were proffesionals working there.

I got rid of my trenchcoat and hung it over a nearby chair. I walked to the examination bed and sat down on it. I waited for the doctor to return as i tried to ignore Sally's angry glares. But after a while i finally broke and looked at Sally with a sigh. "what's wrong?" I asked. "what do you think is wrong?! you went out without having my permission! you could've endangered the baby!" Sally yelled and stood up from the chair that she had been briefly sitting on. "excuse me?!" I asked. "without you're permission! i don't need you're permission to go ahead and visit my friends!" I yelled as i was getting a bit angry. "you might be carrying a child! aslong as he's still in that womb of yours, you will be kept under constant supervission! you don't have the right to go outside without my permission and endanger it!" Sally yelled. "once he's out of there, i don't care what will happen to you!" She yelled.

I was shocked to hear her say that. So that's all i was to her. Just some possible surrogate hermaphrodite mother she had decided to use and experimentate on. Just some body that would help a possible new hero into this world. "i'm not doing this." I said and left the room. "Shadow, come back here! Shadow!" Sally yelled after me, but i ignored her. "mr... or miss? Shadow! please! come back! we still need to confirm if you're pregnant or not!" The female doctor yelled in concern and surprise as she came back and found me leaving them. But i wasn't going to listen. I didn't want to part take in this kind of madness.


	10. Chapter 10

**Who knew: chapter 10**

 **Shadow's POV**

The guards tried to stop me as i walked out through the gates, but they didn't dare hurt me. So it wasn't hard to get past them. Sally hadn't even tried to follow me after i ran from her and the doctor. I guess that she really didn't care what happened to me, but was that the same for this Sonic? I walked out through the gates and walked down the sidewalk in the direction of the nearest hospital.

I stopped half way as i noticed something what i thought to be embarrassing. I was leaning against the tree and tried to hide my face as tears were slowly making their way down my cheeks. My lips were pressed firmly on eachother as i did not want any sobs to come out. My face was hidden from any passing mobians as i did not want them to see my weakness. I went to sit with my back against the tree and hide my face with the help of my trenchcoat that i managed to take with me when i left. It worked. No one noticed anything and most of them just thought that i was asleep or something, so they didn't bother with me. But it didn't fool one certain hedgehog.

"Shadow? are you okay?" A female voice asked in concern. I lowered my trenchcoat and looked up to the pink hedgehog that was looming over me as she watched me. "nothing, my eyes just hurt." I said as i prettended that some pretence hurt in my eyes was the cause of my tears that were thankfully already drying up, but would surely come back again. Probably in the evening when i was alone.

"don't lie to me. i know about your past. all of our friends know. didn't you tell us about it so you could come to us for help?" Amy asked and went to her knees in front of me. "it's complicated." I said as i once again tried to avoid telling her. "then explain it to me. i have time to listen." She said with a smile. I sighed before responding to her. "not here." I said. Amy smiled as we got up from the ground and made our way over to her house.

Amy put a glass of water in front of me. I took hold of the glass and sipped from it as Amy sat down on a chair opposite to me. "now, tell me what happened." She said after sipping from her own glass. I slightly opened my mouth as i wanted to say something, but i quickly closed it as i didn't know how to begin with this story. I wasn't even sure if other poeple knew that the rumor was true. "take your time." Amy said with a smile as she patiently waited for me. I took a deep breath. This was going to be embarrassing.

"i see." Amy said when i had finished my story. "do you know what the results are?" She asked as she reffered to the test that doctor was going to perform on me to see if the experiment had worked. "no, i left before she could start the procedure." I answered. "do you wanna stay here for a while?" She asked and i thought about her proposition for a while. I shook my head. "i don't know." I said and looked down at my glass. "i see, but you will always be welcome here. maybe even Sonic if he gets here." Amy said with a sad smile as she mentioned the hero that had recently passed away.

"thank you for listening to me." I said and emptied the glass that stood in front of me. "it must be hard to be treated that way." Amy said and i nodded. "after i had been given a chance to start my life fresh here, i had never thought that it would conclude being an experiment for the royal family." I said as Amy refilled my glass. Amy sat back down on her chair. "but... if you are pregnant... will you get to raise Sonic?" She asked.

That was a difficult question. I would have a hard time believing that Sally would allow the baby to stay with me. But then again. I guess that it would be for the better. I wasn't exactly parent material either. But i was still concerned about leaving the possible future newborn with Sally. She couldn't even treat me, the one who would carry him or her for nine long months, with respect. How would she treat the newborn? What made me concerned even more was how she would treat it if the baby would turn out to be a girl.

"Amy?" I asked. The pink hedgehog put her glass down on the table and looked at me with curiosity. "i think i will stay here for a while." I said and Amy quickly got up to hug me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Who knew: chapter 11**

 **Shadow's POV**

A week passed. I had been staying at Amy's place throughout this whole time. I had heard that Sally had been to Rouge's house to search for me. So i was really glad that i came to stay here instead. If i had gone to Rouge's house instead of following Amy to hers, then i would be forced right back to the palace. I walked down the stairs and joined Amy at the dinner table for breakfast.

"good morning." I said with a yawn and sat down. "good morning." Amy said with a friendly smile and returned to her cereal. I stretched and filled the bowl that stood in front of me with milk and cereal. I lifted the spoon up to my mouth, but i stopped in my actions and lowered the spoon. Instead i brought my free hand up to my mouth. I pressed my clenched fist against my lips and stared at my breakfast.

"are you okay?" Amy asked and rested a hand on my arm. "i'm f-" I tried to assure her as i lowered my hand, but i quickly silenced as my hand shot up to my mouth again. "come on, let's go to the bathroom." Amy said as she stood up when she quickly discovered what was wrong with me. I stood up aswell and made a run for the bathroom. I opened the door and hung my head over the toilet bowl just in time as my dinner from the day before had left my stomache. Amy was standing outside of the door as she listened and waited for me to finish.

Finally. After what seemed like a very long time. I finally finished throwing up inside the toilet. I panted and felt tired after emptying my stomache into the ceramic bowl. "are you okay?" Amy asked again as i used some toilet paper to clean my mouth. I flushed and weakly got up with Amy's help. "i'm fine." I said and walked out of the bathroom. I made my way into the kitchen to try and get the filthy taste out of my mouth with the help of water. "Shadow, i think that you really are pregnant." Amy said as she came to stand next to me. I sighed. "you're probably right." I muttered. "let's go to the doctor." Amy said. I had no other choice anymore. This was going to be a terrible day.

I walked out of the hospital with Amy walking next to me and a paper in my hands. I couldn't believe what the paper was telling me. But there it was. The word 'pregnant' was written on it with big, fat, black letters. I wasn't to happy about the result, but atleast it meant that the experiment had succeeded. That could mean that they wouldn't try such an humiliating thing on my body anymore. Not to mention that it meant that i was going to be a mother in almost six months.

"aren't you happy?" Amy asked as she noticed my gloomy expression. "not especially." I said as i took my eyes off of the paper for the first time since it had been handed to me. "i know that it'll be hard for you from now on, but just remember that your friends will always help you with any problem. especially now." Amy said with a smile. I smiled back for the first time since months. I didn't smile alot, but i only smiled around them when i really felt happy. Not on any other moment. I was gratefull to have friends like them. If i didn't have them, then i would still be all alone and i couldn't be able to get rid of the feelings that i had been bottling up for atleast fifty years.

"i can assure you that it won't be necessary." An older feminine voice said. Me and Amy looked in front of us and saw Sally standing up ahead. "what do you mean?" The younger hedgehog asked. We both knew what it meant, but we just needed someone to confirm it. "what do you think i mean? Shadow will be coming back home with me. weither he likes it or not." Sally said with a victorious smile as if there was no way that i would be going back with Amy.


	12. Chapter 12

**Who knew: chapter 12**

 **Shadow's POV**

I death glared the back of the female squirrel that walked in front of me. The two guards that were walking behind me were keeping an eye on me. On each of my shoulders there was one hand of each guard. Their hands were much larger then mine since these were bigger mobians then i was.

"oh don't be so grumpy." Sally said as she noticed me glaring at her. I didn't answer to her. My eyes moved from the squirrel's back to the paper she was holding. It was the result that the doctor had given to me. Sally had taken it from me when they forced me and Amy to seperate from eachother. "i would think that you would be happy to recieve the news of having a baby." Sally said, but i didn't answer once again. I wasn't in the mood to answer her. "you're not going to talk to me?" She asked. "very well." She said and turned to look in front of her again as it was obvious that i was ignoring her completely.

Our walk came to an end when the gates appeared up ahead. As we came closer the gates of the palace opened up for us and we made our way inside. Sally turned to me again, but i walked right past her and into the direction of my room.

"you're not even going to eat dinner? that's not a good way to start your life as a mother." Sally said as i had walked up the first steps of the stairs. My fists clenched when i felt something tug on my heart. She was manipulating me. But she was right aswell. I wasn't eating for myself anymore. "fine!" I growled and got of the stairs and changed my direction to the dinner room.

I quietly ate my dinner while ignoring the other poeple who were also present at. Sally didn't really careabout that and neither did her father, but her mother and her brother Elias were thinking diffirently about that. I was looking out through the window as i silently finished my dinner. The former queen looked over at me while listening her husband talk. Elias followed her gaze. He was about to say something to me, but i got up with my plate and went to the kitchen to get rid of my plate before he could say anything to me. I heard him sigh as the door closed behind me.

I opened and slammed the bedroom door shut behind me. I lifted my blouse up over my shoulder and threw it on the bed as i walked in the direction of the bathroom. I stopped in front of the door and got rid of of the rest of my clothes. After dropping the clothing articles on the bed i walked inside the large bathroom and turned the warm water on. I locked the door behind me and waited for the bathtub to fill with water.

I was sitting on the edge of the ceramic tub as i waited patiently. My arms were crossed in front of my chest and my leg crossed over the other. I looked at the water that was filling the tub and reached for it, but swiftly pulled my hand back as the water was to hot for me to touch. I quickly turned the cold water on aswell so it could mix with the much hotter water.

Once the tub was filled i stood up from the edge and closed the faucet of both the hot and the cold water. I was still bent over the tub and extended my arm and to feel the temperature. Thankfully, the water wasn't as untouchably hot anymore and was now pleasantly warm instead. I lifted one of my legs and slowly went into water as i wanted to savour the warmth as much as possible. I sat down on the bottom and sighed in relief as the warmth of the water was helping me get rid of the stress and the pressure that was forcibly being put on my shoulders.

"much better." I mumbled to myself and leant back. I enjoyed the bath and took this opportunity to think and get everything straight. The more i thought about it the more i thought about not being able to get through this without having constant pressure on me. I sighed and looked down as i laid a hand on my stomache. "this is going to be quite an ordeal. you better appreciate it, Sonic." I said as if i had been talking to the one that i used to know and had sadly passed away almost three months earlier. I smiled. I didn't know why, but i felt better all of a sudden. I didn't really know what caused it. And i didn't care. But i do know that for the first time since those rumors had started, that i felt at peace for a while.


	13. Chapter 13

**Who knew: chapter 13**

 **Shadow's POV**

"so, how are you doing today, Shadow?" A seemingly friendly woman said. She was a human with blond hair and dark green eyes. She was sitting at a desk with a notepad laying on top of it. I was sitting on a chair that was about 10 feet away from the desk that the woman was sitting behind. I looked at her while my head rested on my hand as my elbow was placed on the armrest. My other hand was placed on my belly. Instead of a flat stomache there was now an bump. I was five months far now.

"i don't need to have these councelings." I said instead of answering her questions. "it's for your safety." The woman, a psychiatrist actually, said with an assuring smile. "no, it's supposedly for the baby's sake." I said. I was right. Sally had forced me to take these counselings because she was concerned that i would harm it. Everyone knew that the relationship between me and Sonic wasn't the best thing in the world, but that doesn't mean that i would hurt him now that he was the most vulnerable! I hated her. And the more she did me wrong, the more that vile feeling grew.

"you have to understand her concern. she wouldn't want anything to happen to her baby." The psychiatrist said. I was overcome by shock when the word 'baby' followed after 'her'. "her baby?!" I yelled. "excuse me, but it doesn't mean that this was just on experiment that it's her baby! i'm the one carrying it and so it's my baby! not hers!" I yelled in pure rage as i stood up from my chair and pointed at my chest as if that could proof my point. "yours?" The psychiatrist asked in shock and confusion. Shocked because i'm reacting like this. And confusion because of what i had said. Was i missing something?

"yours?" She repeated. "so she hasn't told you yet?" She asked right after. My hand lowered and i stood up straight. "hasn't told me what?" I asked with a voice that sounded quiet and even, dare i admit it, scared. The psychiatrist leaned with her elbows on her desk. I didn't want her to tell me. For some reason i felt like this would hurt me incredibly. Like i would regret allowing it to reach my black furred ears.

"you won't be raising the baby. as soon as it's born, the baby will be given to the royal family for them to raise." The blonde said. My mouth fell open and i carefully lowered myself back on the chair. My presentiment was right. It felt as if someone had stabbed me in my chest. It felt as if this knife had directly stabbed into my heart. "you... you must be kidding... please tell me that this is a joke." I begged as the hand returned to my belly. The caring gesture being returned by a kick that came from an already lively unborn. "i'm sorry, but i thought that you knew." She said. "but why?" I asked. My ears flattened against my skull and an overwhelming sadness overcame me as the shock wore off.

The psychiatrist was hesitant in telling me. Why would she hesitate now? Was it my broken expression on my now tears stained face that made her stop? She had already managed to crush my heart. How much more damage could the reason do to me? "tell me why!" I yelled as my voice cracked when a sob came out along with the words. I hated crying and almost always did i managed to hide it before, but it was to much for me to handle right now. She didn't want to tell me. "tell me damnit!" I yelled. "with the kind of past you have, we are concerned that you might be an unfit guardian." The psychiatrist said. I couldn't believe it. She didn't use the word mother. She didn't even use the word father. She didn't call me a parent at all. I couldn't take this anymore. I stood up from the chair and turned to the door. "where are you going?" The woman asked as i walked to the door and wrapped my hand around the door knob. "i don't know." I said and walked out of the room.

I opened the door to my bedroom and closed it behind me. I leant my back against the door and slid down to the ground. My arms wrapped around my pregnant stomache as if i wanted to attempt to hold the unborn even closer then it already was to me. "why? why me? it's so unfair." I whined and cried. I wiped the tears from my eyes with one hand while the other one softly stroked my belly in a circular motion.

Hours passed by with me just sitting on the floor in front of the door. I looked on the clock. It was well past midnight. I wiped my tears and stood up. I sniffed as i reached for the phone on the nightstand and dailed a number. Normally poeple would be asleep by now, but i know that she would still be wide awake. She wasn't the one to easily sleep at night because she was a bat. I was lucky to know her. I could call her at any time that i needed her. I just hoped that i could reach hr now.


	14. Chapter 14

**Who knew: chapter 14**

 **Shadow's POV**

I placed the phone down and rubbed in my eyes to get the last of the tears away. I smiled weakly and sat down on my bed and waited. Rouge was coming over. So i felt a bit better knowing that. The hand that had never left my belly had stopped moving. I looked down on it. The bab wasn't kicking anymore. That could only mean one thing. He or she was sleeping silently. I smiled as i thought about the small life that was fostering within me. If they were really going to take him or her away then i could atleast try to enjoy the time i still had left.

Rouge was taking a long time. Maybe she was having trouble getting in? I don't know. I was already so tired. So i hoped that she would arrive very soon. Or i can't guarantee her that i will be awake by the time she would finally get here. I kicked my shoes off and got rid of my winter coat. I laid down on my bed and snuggled into my pillow. It was providing a bit of comfort for me. So much comfort that i couldn't help myself and gave in to my mental and physical exhaustion. I closed my eyes and fell asleep right before the sound of the balcony door being unlocked.

Late in the morning i finally woke up as i managed to sleep the exhaustion away. My eyes still felt a bit heavy, but i managed to open them and keep them opened. "hmm?" I hummed in a daze. My head lifted of the pillow and i looked around as i tried to comprehend my surroundings. I groaned and dropped my head back on my pillow as i remembered where i was. I wished that i had awoken inside my own home instead of here, but it couldn't be helped.

My head lfited again when i noticed something. I sat up and looked down to find myself wearing a fresh pair of pajama's. "what the..." I said as i didn't remember putting them on. I remember falling asleep in the clothes that i had been wearing yesterday. "ah so you're finally awake." A vocie said and i looked at the doorway. "Rouge." I said and a reliefed smile spread on my muzzle. "i'm so happy to see you." I said and moved to get up from the bed, but the white bat stopped me. "why don't you stay in bed for a while, sweetie?" Rouge's proposed and i thought about it for a few split seconds before laying back down on the bed.

I sat up again and looked at my nightstand to see that the plate with breakfast that i was expecting to see there wasn't here for once. "oh about that. i kind of ate it because i was starting to get hungry, but a maid is making a new freshly made breakfast." Rouge said and i shook my head while chuckling. "i can wait." I said and laid back down.

"so. care to tell me what happened?" Rouge asked and sat down on the bed next to me. I sat up and Rouge handed me a tissue before i had even started my tale. I raised an eyebrow and she just smiled and waited for me to start. She must be certain that i will burst into tears as soon as i start. I know that i had a hormonal problem at the moment, but that didn't mean that i was emotionally unstable. "so... tell me." Rouge said and smiled. I took a deep breath before deciding to starting my story.

"Sally has been making me go to these counceling sessions." I slowly started. Rouge urged me to keep going. "i asked why i had to be going to these and the psychiatrist had told me that Sally was concerned for 'her' baby." I said and my smile slowly turned to a frown as i knew that the most painfull part was coming. Rouge was frowning deeply now aswell. "i yelled at her that this baby was mine because i was the one carrying it. then she told me that Sally had planned on taking the baby away from me as soon as it would be born because i would be an unfit mother. or even a guardian at all." I said and felt fresh tears gathering in the corners of my eyes as the pain and sadness i felt yesterday returned.

"oh Shadow." Rouge said with her ears flat and her eyes expressing sympathy and wrapped her arms around me as i began to sob again. "it's unfair. it's like everytime i accept my past and leave it behind me it'll catch up with me and ruin everything for me." I sobbed in her arms and returned the hug by wrapping my arms around her waist. "don't think like that. everything will be alright. just enjoy the time you still have left and carry the baby to full term. i'll figure something out." Rouge promised me as she stroked my quills to comfort me. I knew that she would try to help me, but there was concern and insecurity evident in her voice. She wasn't sure that she could do anything for me, but she still made herself promise it to me to comfort me. I hated it, but i was thankfull for it aswell.

I felt myself calm down and pulled away. "thank you." I said and Rouge smiled. I smiled back and laid down on the bed again. I relaxed for a while and waited for my breakfast to come, but our peace was shortlived as a large explosion was heard outside. Me and Rouge were shocked to hear it and we both got up from the bed and ran to the balcony. We stepped outside and looked around. My eyes widened as i saw the source of the desctruction. It was Eggman. He must know that i'm carrying the supposed new hero of Mobius. And he was here to take that child away from me before i was even born.


	15. Chapter 15

**Who knew: chapter 15**

 **Shadow's POV**

"Eggman?" I muttered in fear as i knew the reason why he was here. Rouge knew it to and looked at me in fear of both me and the baby's safety. "come on! we need to find you a safe place to hide!" She said and pushed me back inside the bedroom. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the wreckage that Eggman was causing all over the city. Why didn't Nicole protect the city? Was it because Eggman that managed to build a robot that could break through it? "come on!" Rouge repeated and made me look away from it as she handed me my winter coat.

I pulled the coat on as the bedroom door opened to reveal a panicking squirrel. "Shadow! what are you still doing here?!" Sally asked in panic and gripped my arm. She pulled me out of Rouge hold and made sure that i was out of the room. We seemed to have gotten out of the bedroom just in time as a missile from Eggman's robot had wrecked it completely. My hands went to my ears to protect them from the loud explosive noise as i was being pulled to safety. Those two guards from before came running to us. Sally had probably send for them to get the baby to safety.

"this way, your highness." The deep and rough voice from the oldest guards said and led Sally and me the way. "Rouge!" I yelled as she was forced to part from me. "don't worry about me! just get to safety! i'll meet you there!" Rouge yelled as we were getting further apart from eachother. I looked back at her with concern as the guards and Sally were forcibly taking me to safety while i wanted to stay with her. Or atleast have her come along with me.

I looked in front of me when i couldn't see Rouge anymore. We were running down the stairs and trying to avoid the falling rumble as the dangerous robot was now attacking the palace. "come on! don't slack behind!" Sally said and pulled me even more as we reached the ground floor. "don't pull on me like that! i can't run any faster without having the risk of falling flat on my face!" I yelled at her and pulled my hand back. Sally ignored me and just grabbed my other hand and pulled me into the direction of the underground laboratory for there was not only a way to the underground laboratory, but also a way to an underground hideout that could serve as an underground bunker. I coughed and tried to get the smoke and dust out of my lungs. Fire was starting to appear all around us as we ran through the hallways.

"Sally! Shadow! this way!" King Elias yelled as he saw us running towards him. Sally ran through the doorway and ran down the stairs. I followed her example as Elias laid a hand on my back when i walked in. "are you okay?" King Elias asked me as it was obvious that he was concerned for me. "i'm just fine, just a bit shaken up." I answered. "are you sure?" He asked. "yes, i only breathed some smoke in." I said and ran down the stairs. We reached the bottom floor and Elias lead us to the bunker.

Once inside the doors were locked behind us and now all we could do was wait for the danger to pass. I looked around the bunker. They did a pretty good job at trying to make it seem pretty homey. There were several furniture in this room to make it seem like this wasn't a bunker at all. But that were royals to you. THey could affort these kind of things while others could not. I sat down on the couch and laid my hands on my belly as i tried to calm the frantic unborn down. It was kicking as if there was no tomorrow. The sounds from outside and my behaviour must've scared it. I tried my best to soothe it the best i could. I could feel Elias' eyes on me. He was watching me as i tried to calm it down. He must be really worried for the baby.

The baby finally calmed down as i felt the kicks becoming less and less untill they were only there every few minutes to move around and to let me know that it was still there. But it was hard for me to forget with a five month old bump on my ussually flat stomache. I pulled my coat off. I had only worn it because i thought that i would be needing to get out into the cold winter air, but i guessed that i didn't have to anymore. I leant back against the couch and allowed myself to relax for the time being. We were going to be safe here. I just hoped that Eggman wouldn't be able to get in here. couldn't even imagine what he would do to us if he found the rumor about me being pregnant with Sonic to be true.


	16. Chapter 16

**Who knew: chapter 16**

 **Shadow's POV**

Hours passed by. Me, Elias, his wife and Sally were still in the bunker. The former king and queen had joined us in here and were sitting on the couch while i had moved myself to a nearby chair as i knew for a fact that the former king wouldn't even want me to be near him. Normally i wouldn't care what others would think, but i wasn't so keen on the former king either. So i had decided to keep a safe distance from him.

The former queen, however, was a much more likeable person. Just like Elias she actually showed interest in my well being aswell instead of only the baby's safety. It was strange how the former queen and current king and queen were so likeable, but the princess and the former king weren't. The former and current queen were even interested in the newborn that i carried without caring that it was a part of, or possibly even, Sonic himself. It felt good to know that some members of the royal weren't against me.

Another hour passed by. It was completely silent. None of us had any idea what was happening outside. There was no news from outside the bunker. Not even an update from Nicole. We didn't know how everybody was doing. It worried us because for all we know everything we knew could be laying in ashes right now. "do you think Eggman is still raging outside?" Meg asked as she was holding her own baby in her arms. "i don't know." Elias said and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

As if on cue Nicole appeared inside the bunker. I jumped on her sudden appearence while the rest seemed to be used to it. "ah, Nicole, we were about to contact you." Sally said and greeted her old friend. "i came with some good and bad news." The AI said. "start with the good news." Sally said. "the good news is that Eggman has finally left." Nicole said. "and the bad news?" The princess asked. "the bad news is that new mobotropolis is in complete ruin." Nicole said. We were all shocked beyond believe. How could Eggman have done so much damage?

"and my poeple?" King Elias asked almost in fear of asking this question. "most of them are safe, but alot of mobians are missing." Nicole said with a sign of concern in her lifelike voice. Elias sighed and rested his head on his hands and shook his head. Nicole gave him the time he needed to allow it to sink in. She turned to me and asked if i was okay and i nodded. She smiled before turning to Sally again. "it's time that we got out of here." King Elias said and got up. His wife stood up aswell and the former queen helped her husband up from the couch and into the wheelchair.

I stood up from the chair, puleld my coat back on and decided to follow them up the stairs. I was glad to finally get out of here. It was starting to feel cramped in here as there were to many poeple in this small room and that wouldn't be good for either me or the baby. I sighed a breath of relief when i had finally left that tiny bunker, but that relief quickly dissapeared when we had gotten to the surface. I looked around. Nicole was right. Everything was in a mess and ruined. There were several mobians trying to find missing family member and friends or trying to save some of their property that we still able to be saved.

"Shadow! you're okay!" A childish voice was heard and a pair of arms wrapped around me. "Amy? are you okay?" I asked and pulled away from the hug. "i'm just fine." Amy said, but it was clear that she was lying since she had alot of injuries on her body. I felt bad. I could've helped all these poeple, but instead i was hiding like a coward in a bunker. These poeple were injured while i only had some dirt on me and some smoke in my lungs. I felt so ashamed for letting this happen to them. "wow! you sure of grown, haven't you?" Amy said and placed her hands on my belly. She was surprised to see how big i had already coming, but that was probably because we hadn't seen eachother ever since the hospital visit about a few months ago. "it'll be alot bigger in four months." I sighed, but Amy didn't really care. She was to fascinated by my swollen belly because there was currently a child growing in there.

"where's Rouge?" I asked. Amy looked up to me in concern. "i don't know. i haven't see her all day." She said. I felt my heart sink upon hearing her words. I hoped that she was okay. I wouldn't know what would become of me if something were to happen to her. She was my best friend. "what?" I muttered. "no! i'm fine!" A voice yelled and both me and Amy looked into that direction and saw none other then Rouge running towards us. "Rouge, you're okay!" I yelled in relief. I took hold of her hands and looked her over to make sure that she wasn't fataly injured. "i'm fine, although my right wing is broken." Rouge said and reffered to the wound on the joint of her wing. "you need to get that looked at." I said and Rouge nodded in agreement.

"and so do you." Sally said as she came to seperate us again. "what do you mean? i'm just fine." I said, but the squirrel still pulled me away from my two friends. "of coruse you are, but that does not mean that the baby is fine." She said and led me somewhere. She could feel that the baby was just fine since her hand was on my belly aswell. She could feel that it was still kicking happily as if it was playing soccer in my womb. I was starting to suspect that she was trying to isolate me from my friends.


	17. Chapter 17

**Who knew: chapter 17**

 **Shadow's POV**

I rubbed my hands together as i wanted to revive some warmth and feeling back into them. The cold was making them feel numb. I was feeling like that all over my body. And all there was to keep my warm was the ruins of a building and a large campfire. There were other poeple here with me. My friends and some other mobians that i didn't know. It was so cold. i hated the winter and this stupid winter coat that i was wearing. Sure it kept me warm, but i couldn't feel the baby if i laid my hands on it. I sighed. I was getting way to attached to this baby. It was wrong for me to get attached to it. It wasn't that i hated it. My feeling for this baby didn't even come close to any dislike, but if i did get to close to it then it would make giving him or her up even harder then it already would be.

"here you go?" Rouge asked as she came to sit next to me with two cups of soup in her hands and handed me one of them. "thank you." I said as i took it into my hands and sipped from the hot liquid. "no problem." She said and sipped from her own cup. "did you run into Sally while you were getting us some soup?" I asked and Rouge shook her head. I did not want sally to see me hanging out with my friends. She was trying to isolate me, or better yet the baby, from my friends. She would always get angry as if i was already a bad influence to the baby. So whenever i had the chance i spend my time with them, but it was hard because ever since i had lost my free space when Eggman had attacked, Sally had constantly kept her eyes on me.

I finished my soup and placed the cup on the ground. I shivered because of the cold and wrapped my arms around my belly. "cold, huh?" Rouge asked and i nodded. Rouge was also trying to warm herself with some warmer clothes and the campfire, but it was no easy task. We had no home to warm ourselves anymore. Nicole could try to rebuilt our city, but there weren't enough nanites for that. So we could be sitting in the cold for a long time to come. Probably even untill spring or summer. "i hate winter." I muttered and hid my muzzle behind my scarf. "you're certainly not the only one." Rouge replied to my statement."indeed and sadly enough that still isn't enough to make the winter go away." I said and Rouge laughed a little.

"what're you doing?" Rouge asked as i kept looking over my shoulders. "trying to locate Sally. i don't want her to find me here with you because it's only a matter of time before she will give me a lecture about how i'm already a bad influence on the child and how much off an unfit guardian i am." I said and stared in sadness at the flickering flame that burned the wood. The white bat frowned at me. I could read from her facial expression that she hated seeing me like this, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Shadow, don't worry about it." Rouge said and was about to continue her sentence, but i rudely stopped her before she could. "don't give me that speech about everything turning out just fine, Rouge." I said and looked at her. "you don't have to lie to me anymore. i don't care anymore anyway. i got over it already." I said and tightened my grip around my belly. I tried to ignore it, but my own words were hurting me. I knew that it was a lie, but i didn't want to admit that. I wanted to keep these delusions up. I wanted to believe my own lies and soothe the pain that was becoming more unbearable everyday because i knew that i was another day closer to losing my first child.

"you're lying." Rouge said as tears were growing in my eyes again. "god, i'm such a wimp." I said and dried my cheeks. Amy, Tails and Knuckles, who were sitting close to us, were watching us silently as they just noticed what was happening. "no you're not. you can't help it. anyone would be an emotional wreck if they were in your shoes." She said. I shook my head. "i'm not an emotional wreck." I denied, but she wasn't buying it. Knuckles shook his head and looked down. He seemed a bit angry with the situation. Tails wasn't looking so happy either. Neither did Amy.

"Rouge is right. you shouldn't worry. it's not good for the baby." Tails said and stood up. I watched him as he walked up to me and went to his knees in front of me. I looked him in the eyes. "you don't have to worry about anything because me, Rouge, Knuckels and Amy will make sure that nothing will happen to either you or Sonic." Tails said with determination in his eyes and a proud smirk that he only recently had gotten as if in memory of the one that Sonic used to wear on his muzzle. "and you know what. when the baby is here. i'll be the best big brother ever!" Tails said. The proud smirk easily being replaced by a playfull and happy smile and laid his hand on my belly. The baby answered his gesture by kicking against the palm of the young kitsune's hand. As if accepting his offer.


	18. Chapter 18

**Who knew: chapter 18**

 **Shadow's POV**

I smiled at the young kitsune who's hands on my stomache. I looked down at my hands who were a bit lower then his were. His hands were still small and his fingers a bit pudgy. While my hands were a bit bigger and my fingers more slender. "yeah. you'll be the best big brother in the world." I said and Tails smiled when i agreed with him. His hands still not leaving the spot.

Night arrived. Most poeple were getting themselves and some younger family members ready to sleep while a few were taking care of some of the missing mobians who had resurfaced today or a few days earlier. We didn't really have much to sleep with. Some had matrasses and other bedding that survived the sudden attack, while others had to sleep in a sleeping bag or what was left of one. I was one of those poeple.

It wasn't easy sleeping with that on the ground because i would always wake up in the morning with pain in my hips on the side that i had been laying on. I couldn't lay on my back because the baby could close my artery with it's weight. Which could easily result in the lost of conciouseness or death. Thankfully, i would only faint. But still, i had no other choice then to sleep on my side. And mostly that was on my right side. So almost every morning i woke up with aching hips on my right side because of the baby's weight. And tomorrow would be no diffirent.

I snuggled into the sleeping bag and tried to keep myself warm. I tossed and turned inside the bag, but i couldn't fall asleep. It was so cold. I moved my hands in front of my face and rubbed them together. "damnit." I muttered in curled up the best i could with a five month old, almost six month old, swollen belly. I unzipped my sleeping bag and sat up. I rubbed my arms and sighed. I didn't feel sleepy at all. I was wide awake.

I sat on my knees and rolled my sleeping bag up. I looked at Rouge who was laying in her own sleeping bag. "Rouge?" I said as i wondered if she was still awake, but it seemed like she had much more luck then i had as she was already in a deep slumber. I stood up and decided to take a small walk. It had always helped me get me tired and i figured that today wouldn't be any diffirent. But i was wrong. I was already quite a while away from the ruins of new mobotropolis and i still wasn't sleepy. The baby was more lucky then i am. He or she was already asleep.

"you're lucky you know that?" I stated to the unborn who was already old enough to hear me, but probably still couldn't because it was asleep. "you're warm, comfortable and get food handed to you." I said with an irritated sigh, but i still smiled. I stroked on my belly in a circular motion and i decided that it was best for both of us that i would return back to the ruins. Or as we called it now, our camp. I turned on my heels and walked into the direction of the smoke that originated from the campfire that slowly dimmed and eventually faded.

A sound made me stop. I turned to look at the remnants of the forest that i was close to entering only a few moments ago. I heard rustling in the bushes and the trees. My heart was beating in my chest as the rustling seemed to get closer to me. Any other day i wouldn't be scared, just alerted and unnerved, but this was a completely diffirent situation. I was carrying a child now. If i was going to be attacked, then i had little to no way to defend myself.

The rustling got closer. My arms instinctivly went around my belly and i walked backwards into the direction of the camp. My breaths became shallow. Every part of me was telling me to turn around and run, but i couldn't. Not untill i knew for sure that i was in danger. My ears twitched as another sound was joining the movement of bushes and trees. It sounded metallic. My eyes widened as i realized exactly what i was hearing. These metallic sounds weren't just any sound. They were footsteps.


	19. Chapter 19

**Who knew: chapter 19**

 **Shadow's POV**

The rustling got closer untill it stopped when it was on the edge of the forest. With frightened eyes i watched the plant life that grew in front of me. Or what was left of it, that is. My ears moved to try and pick up any sound, but i heard none. I sighed in relief. There was no danger at all. It was probably my mind playing a trick on me. I turned to walk back to the camp.

The rustling noise was heard again. I went to look over my shoulder back at the forest. "no...no." I muttered and shook my head. I wasn't imagining this. There really was something there. I held my arms around my belly and carefully walked closer to the edge of the forest. There was still nothing in sight. I looked at the forest and back at the ruins of new mobotropolis. I took a deep breath and entered the forest.

I looked around as i took carefull steps on the grassy ground. My ears moved into several directions as i tried to listen for the sound again. I followed it. It was close. The footsteps sounded like they were a few feet away. I moved the bushes away. There was nothing here. I breathed a sigh of relief once again. I turned and walked back with an uplifted heart and a huge weight off of my shoulders.

The metallic sound came again. But it sounded so much diffirent this time. I turned to look, only to have a fist thrown into my face. I stumbled out of the way and looked at this thing with widened eyes. "what the!" I said out of shock. My heart skipped a beat when i recognized the thing in front of me. The metallic footsteps sounded as the iron robot turned to me. "no way! Metal Sonic!" I said in recognition of the robot. It's eyes flickered as it remembered it's target.

"no." I muttered. I couldn't use my chaos energy. So i had only one option. I turned around and ran deeper into the forest. Metal Sonic's electronics buzzed and he started his chase after me. I ran as fast as i could away from the metal robot. I looked behind me to find him right on my heels. I cursed underneath my breath. I had to get him in front of me so i could safely return to the camp, but it wasn't giving me an easy time doing so.

I winced and wrapped my arms around my belly. "what was that?" I said and felt the sting dissapear when i took a halt in my running. An electronic buzz was heard. I turned and looked at the robot. A fist came flying in my face. It made immediate contact with my cheek. I fell to the ground. My hand laid on my cheek. That punch had so much strenght in it. Any normal mobian might have their necks broken from such a punch. I had to get away from killer machine. One hit to my belly and i might lose the child forever.

I got up from the ground and ran away from the danger with my hand on my belly. I kept on running untill a building came into my view. It was a small building, but it looked sturdy. I looked behind me to search for Metal Sonic, but he was nowhere to be found. Good. i looked at the small building again. It was made completely out of concreet. This could hold Metal Sonic off untill it was safe for me to go back to Rouge.

I ripped the door open and ran inside. "no, no, no, no, no!" I yelled as the door automaticly locked when it slammed shut. I took hold of the door knob. I pulled, turned and pushed, but it didn't budge. "no...no this can't be! i can't be locked in here!" I said as i kept trying, but i gave up when it proved to be useless. I searched for the light switch and turned the light on. I looked around. This building excisted out of only one small room. There were some crates in here, but i had no tools to open them. There was also a hatch in the floor. I carefully went to my knees and pulled the hatch open. there was a ladder. I turned around and walked down it's steps.

I reached the next floor and looked around. There was a long hallway in front of me. An old lantarn was on my right. I took it and checked if it was still of use. The small flame awakened. I sighed in relief once more. I looked at the hallway in front of me and walked down it. Not knowing what may lay await at the end of it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Who knew: chapter 20**

 **Shadow's POV**

The dark hallway that i followed was enlighted by the lantarn that i held. I walked on the concreet floor and tried to reach it's end. There was no other sound beside my own footsteps. "h... hello?" I called out to make sure that i was completely alone. I didn't want to run in any more danger. That little encounter with Metal Sonic was already to much that i could handle. Another attack like that would be to much for me.

I reached the end of the hallway. There was another ladder. I climbed up the ladder and opened it's hatch. I got up on the surface floor and looked around. Judging by all the carton boxes and old machinery it was probably a storage of some sort. I tried to find my way around all this junk, but it proved to be more difficult then it seemed. I finally reached a door and even though i had doubts about entering this door, i still took hold of the door knob and turned it.

I made my way into the next room to find that i was in an old building. Not one that had been abandoned by everyone because of Eggman's attacks. This building was so much older. I walked around the room and the one's next to it. I explored every single one of them. And i discovered quite a few things. The first thing was that this building was completely abandoned. No other intelligent being was here apart from me. The second thing was that this building had be a few centuries old. Atleast that was what it looked like judging by the look of this building. The third thing was that this had to be a mansion that had been turned into a home or a hospital. I didn't know for sure, but i think that this mansion had been changed so drastically because it was build in the time in which poeple had been bothered by epidemics such as the black plague, or tuberculosis. In other words. This building was extremely old.

I searched for a light switch and flipped the switch. The light turned on. That was good. Atleast i knew that the electricity worked in here. It was a bit filthy and messy in here, but not impossible to clean. If the isolation of this building and the heating system worked, then this could easily be made livable. That could mean that me and the other mobians could live here. This could be a temporary home for us.

I walked around the building and searched for the basement. I found it and checked if the boiler was this of use. It was in excelent state. I turned the boiler on and waited for the heater to kick in. I went back to the ground floor and sat by the cermaic heater. I waited for it to become hot and sat with my back agaisnt it.

Soon enough the room became warm enough to get rid of my winter coat. I smiled as i felt warm for the first time ever since i had lost my home. I laid my coat open on the floor and laid down on it. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax. Before i knew it the soothing warmth had lulled me to sleep.

I was awoken hours later in the late morning. It was the baby's kicks who had woke me up. I sighed in irritation and looked around in a dazed state. I sat up and stretched. "good morning." I muttered and stroked my belly in a circular motion. The baby's kicks calmed down as if it had tried to wake me up on purpose. I was a bit confused at first, but i soon remembered what had happened yesterday and therefore recognized this place aswell.

I decided that i should return back to the camp and tell the others about this place. So i puleld my winter coat on and placed a hand on the heater. I pushed myself up with difficulty because of the now six months old belly. What i had failed to remember was the fact that the heater was still on. My hand accidently burned and out of reaction i pulled my hand back. That turned out to be a big mistake as i fell to the floor and hit the back of my head against the top of the heater. I yelped and held my hands against the back of my head and laid on my side.

"damnit." I winced. My eyes were squeezed close and tried to ignore the pain that was temporarily on the back of my head. I sat up again and groaned. "damnit." I repeated and held my hands in front of me. They weren't bleeding, so that meant that there was no wound there. Probably just a bruise. My right hands returned to the back of my hand and rubbed the spot for a few moments before carefully getting up. My right hand went to my side and my left laid on my belly and walked out of this room.

I was alerted and cautious as i made my way through the forest. I was a bit nervous about running into Metal Sonic, but up untill now i had not seen him. There was no sign of the attack from yesterday. But i didn't know if not seeing a single sign of Metal Sonic was good or bad. I reached the edge of the forest and i knew that i had to be close to the camp. I couldn't wait untill i could see my friends again. I kind of missed them and i would feel alot safer amongst them.

I walked out of the forest and made my way into the direction of the camp. The ruins were starting to become more familiar as i got closer. Soon enough i was close and i could smell the fire of the campfire from last night. But i don't remember the smell of smoke being so strong. Especially from a fire that had been extinguished hours ago. I became alerted by the smell and inched closer to the camp. The camp finally got into view. My eyes widened as i saw what condition it was in. There was no one here. This whole place was destroyed.


End file.
